Blast and explosion retaining system for doors

ABSTRACT

The blast and explosion retaining system is for retaining a door to a frame when a blast or explosion separates the door from the frame. The system is a woven fabric material that is flexible and is anchored to the door and to the frame. The system is ideal for use in buildings that have already been built and have been around for a long time, especially those structures that are aesthetically pleasing. The fabric material retains the door to the frame when the blast or explosion near the door separates the door from the frame. Thus, the system prevents the door from becoming a projectile, harming people or damaging property inside the building or structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to explosion and blast resistant doors, and more specifically to a blast and explosion retaining system for doors that provides resistance to blasts and explosions by retaining the door to the frame, and preventing the door from becoming a projectile.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the United States and abroad, the need for greater physical security is evident in most parts of the world. Ever increasing threats of terrorism, breaking and entering, assaults with firearms, etc., have resulted in increasing concern for ways to meet or counter these threats and potentials. While building structures themselves can generally be constructed to withstand such forces, the weak points of such structures are generally the doorways, because blasts or explosions near the doorways will separate a door from a frame of the doorway. Thus, causing the door to act as a projectile.

Bomb blasts and explosions are unfortunately a relatively common occurrence, whether in the context of actual warfare or otherwise. Little can be done to prevent damage to persons and objects that suffer a direct hit from the blast or explosion. However, a significant fraction of the people and property, that are hurt or damaged during a bomb blast, do not suffer from a direct hit. Rather, these people are hurt or property is damaged by doors that are thrust inward by the force of the explosion after being broken from the hinges and sent as a projectile into the building.

An obvious solution to the problem is to build structures that have strong doors and hinges that are capable of withstanding the forces of any expected blast without the doors breaking from the hinges and becoming projectiles. Currently, if protection from an explosion or bomb blast is wanted, then the solution is to build very heavy doors. In fact, such doors can be made to be sufficiently strong by increasing the thickness of the door and putting large mounted objects to cover the hinges. However, the added weight of these doors makes the doors wear out faster and is often very hard to open.

Accordingly, such solutions are not always practicable. Use of large heavy doors and blast-proof hinges are expensive and it is not feasible to equip every structure that may be a potential target of a bomb blast with such heavy doors and/or large hinge covers. This is especially true in buildings that have already been built and have been around for a long time. Some are aesthetically pleasing structures, such as those buildings and museums in and around the District of Columbia. Other examples would be petrol chemical plants, DOD buildings, GSA Buildings, U.S. Embassies, Military housing, and Military buildings. Thus, a blast and explosion retaining system for doors solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The blast and explosion retaining system for doors retains a door to a frame after a blast or explosion separates the door from the frame. The system uses a fabric material anchored to the door and to the frame. The fabric material retains the door to the frame when the blast or the explosion near the door separates the door from the frame. The fabric material can be mounted under at least one of the hinges. Alternatively, it can be placed around the hinge and mounted to the door and frame. The fabric material is woven fabric material. The fabric material is folded in the hinge side of a door and frame and mounted with the screws from the hinge. The fabric is very flexible. There is also a slack amount of the material to aid in absorbing the load of the door when it comes off the frame. The fabric material also could be a continuous piece running down the frame.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a door incorporating a blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic section view through the junction of a door frame and a portion of a door, showing a hinge of a door protected by a blast and explosion retaining system in a first embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic section view similar to FIG. 2, showing a second embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic section view similar to FIG. 2, showing a third embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic section view similar to FIG. 2, showing a fourth embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 generally illustrates a door 10 with a frame 12. With respect to the door 10 and frame 1 2, the present invention is a blast and explosion retaining system for such doors. The system is used to keep door 10 from becoming projectile after a blast load or explosion on or near the door 10. Door 10 can be nearly any type of door. Some doors have no resistance to force from a blast or explosion. Other doors have grades of force resistance. In fact, many doors must meet blast or explosion type standards as set forth by the Department of State Document SD-STD-01.01, Revision G (amended). Additionally, many frames also have been put in place or upgraded that are force resistance as well.

The present invention can be used on any door whether or not the door meets the performance standards for doors resisting forced entry and ballistic forces. In fact, the present invention is ideal for any door including residential homes and buildings that need protection. The present invention prevents the door 10 from becoming a projectile and injuring people inside the building or home.

More specifically, if the pressure from an explosion, blast or force is higher than what the door can withstand the door will blow into the building and become a projectile. The present invention is a flexible fabric material that is fitted between the door 10 and the frame 12 and anchored through hinges 14. Installation merely requires that the hinges 14 have the screws removed and then the flexible fabric material is put in place and the screws are put back into the hinge and into the door 10 and the frame 12. The present invention will hold the door 10, allowing it to stay attached to the frame 12. Thus, if the pressure from the explosion, blast or force is higher than what the door 10 can withstand the door 10 will separate from the frame 12, but be retained to the frame by the flexible fabric material.

With reference to FIGS. 2-5, a number of different hinges are shown and the flexible fabric is used in different embodiments to fit to the different hinge types. These Figures are diagrammatic section views through the junction of a portion of a door and a door frame, showing the hinge of a door protected by a blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to the present invention in various embodiments of the system.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible fabric material 20 is placed behind the hinge's door screws 22, 23, and then run to the middle of the hinge 24. This extra part or slack material 25 of the flexible fabric material 20 serves as slack to give or act as a shock absorber when the door 10 is separated from the frame 12. The slack material 25 can be glued in place in order not to notice or disrupt the normal operation of the door 10. The flexible fabric material 20 is then placed behind the hinge's frame screws 26, 27. After the fabric material 20 is placed behind the screws 22, 23, 26, and 27, the screws are then put back into place. A wall bolt 28 secures the frame 12. Thus, anchoring the flexible fabric material 20 to the door 10 and frame 12.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment using the flexible fabric material 30. In this embodiment, the flexible fabric material 30 is again placed under door screws 31, 32 of the hinge 34. However, the flexible fabric material 30 is laid initially at the inside part of the door 10 or closer to the center of the hinge 34. Once the flexible fabric material 30 is in place under the screw 32, 33, the screws 32, 33 are re-inserted, holding the flexible fabric material 30 to the door 10.

At this point, the flexible fabric material 30 is laid over the heads of the screws 32, 33 and glued in place. Next, the flexible fabric 30 is folded and laid over the heads of screws 36, 37 and glued down. This slack material 35 is for the flexible fabric material 30 and a cushion for absorption of the shock when the door 10 separates from the frame 12 during or after the force of the blast or explosion hits the door 10. The flexible fabric material 30 is then securely anchored to the frame 12 with a screw 38 that is hidden with a decorative cover 39.

With respect to FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the flexible fabric 40 is shown with another type of hinge 44. In this embodiment, the flexible fabric material 40 is y-shaped with one leg 41 extending under door screws 42, 43 of the hinge 34. Once the flexible fabric material 40 is in place under the screw 42, 43, the screws 42, 43 are re-inserted, holding the flexible fabric material 40 to the door 10.

At this point, the other leg 45 of the flexible fabric material 40 is laid over the heads of screws 46, 47 and glued down. This other leg 45 acts like slack material for the flexible fabric material 40 and a cushion for absorption of the shock when the door 10 separates from the frame 12 during or after the force of the blast or explosion hits the door 10. The flexible fabric material 30 is then securely anchored to the frame 12 with a screw 48 that is hidden with a cover 49.

In reference to FIG. 5, rather than connecting flexible fabric material 50 with the hinge 54, the flexible fabric 50 can also be used as a surface mount. Here the flexible fabric material 50 is attached by screw 52 to the door 10 and by screw 56 to the frame 12. A decorative piece 58, 59 can been used to hide the screws 52, 56 and further secure the flexible fabric 50.

Of course, the flexible fabric material 20, 30, 40, and 50 could also be a continuance piece running down the frame 12. In most cases the frame 12 will need to be reinforced to carry the applied load or the door 10. This could be by adding more anchors or reinforcing the structural with steel or aluminum.

The flexible fabric material 20, 30, 40, and 50 allow the door 10 to operate normally. The flexible fabric material 20, 30, 40, and 50 can fold in the hinge side of the door 10 and frame 12 because it is very flexible. The strength of any frame used is not as important. This means regular frames can be used with the flexible fabric material 20, 30, 40, and 50 compared to the type of heavy and/or the reinforced frames normally used for blast-proof buildings. With the use of regular frames, the doors can look more aesthetically pleasing and thus normal that is currently the case for bombproof type buildings.

The system allows one to take doors from almost any manufacture and make an explosion or bomb blast resistant door opening. Doors can be built much lighter and easier to use. This will also help with long lead time trying to buy these doors. Some door manufacture could add a grove into the door or doorframe making this an intricate part of their door. In most cases, the flexible material 20, 30, 40, and 50 can be totally concealed. The flexible material 20, 30, 40, and 50 could also be sold to door manufactures and or suppliers so they could sell explosion or blast resistant doors by use of this flexible material 20, 30, 40, and 50 retaining system. The flexible material 20 is a woven type of material that is currently available such as Kevlar® or even cotton type material.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A blast and explosion retaining system, comprising: a door; a door frame; hinges pivotally attaching the door to the frame; and a fabric material anchored to the door and to the frame, the fabric material retaining the door to the frame when the blast or the explosion near the door separates the door from the frame.
 2. The blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to claim 1, wherein the fabric material is mounted under at least one of the hinges.
 3. The blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to claim 1, wherein the fabric material comprises a woven fabric material.
 4. The blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to claim 1, wherein the fabric material is mounted under the hinges and comprises a continuous piece extending substantially an entire length of the door frame between the hinges.
 5. The blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to claim 1, wherein the fabric material is folded in the hinge side of the door and the door frame.
 6. The blast and explosion retaining system for doors according to claim 1, wherein the fabric material is flexible. 